I was talking to an editor friend recently who swears by the throw away your first cut rule: basically, after you finish your first assembly, you archive it and start fresh. He says it forces you to let go of the shots you were attached to and focus on what actually works.
I think about this a lot in post. How sometimes the best creative decision is just starting over with fresh eyes instead of trying to polish something that's fundamentally not working.
What's your go-to post-production trick or philosophy that consistently saves your projects? Whether it's an editing technique, a color grading approach, a sound design hack, or even just a mindset shift, I want to hear what works for you.
With AI being integrated more and more in post-production workflow, smaller teams are able to "fix" what would before cost thousands of dollars and many professionals to handle. But a good post-production workflow starts in pre-production. I see more and more editors be on set and put together preliminary cut through their portable edit bay.
I wonder if we (or more specifically corporations, studios...) have lost patience with the process and can't dedicate time and money to the craft? Or if they've improved the process and made it more efficient. Judging by how A-list filmmakers work, time is a key ingredient in delivering a final product of great quality. And if that means trashing your first cut, then so be it.
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Geoffroy Faugerolas I totally get what you’re saying about trashing the first cut, it’s a great mindset for letting go and focusing on what actually serves the story. For me personally, I plan with the end in mind. I’ve found that being deeply involved in pre-production is what really sets post-production up for success having a clear vision, knowing your shots, and aligning early on tone and pacing makes the editing process so much smoother.
I don’t trash the first cut unless it truly isn’t going anywhere. AI and smaller team workflows are amazing for efficiency, but nothing beats laying the groundwork before cameras roll. For me, post is almost just the final step in a process that starts long before the first cut.
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Cyrus Sales That makes sense! If you've plan properly, you won't need to trash it!